Oh, Julia
You done GOOD:
Mmmmm hmmmm. Mrs. Child knew what she was doing with this chocolate mousse recipe. But, before we got to the mousse, there was dinner. 
Our Valentine’s Day dinner was wonderful—and actually very quick and easy to make! We went with…Polenta with Wild Mushroom Sauce.
We cooked the polenta according to the instructions on our package:
The mushroom sauce was quite simple. We heated a tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan, and then added one shallot, chopped. After allowing the shallot to cook for about five minutes, we added a mix of mushrooms: cremini, oyster, and shitake. We cooked the mushrooms for about 15 minutes, seasoned with salt and pepper and fresh thyme, then added a splash of Marsala to deglaze the pan. We finished it off with a splash of half and half. Yum!
Along with the polenta and mushrooms, we had roasted green beans. Delicious!
Mmmmm…this meal was SO good! I love shitake mushrooms—so chewy! The marsala really gave the mushrooms a subtle sweetness that worked well with the creamy polenta.
Wine was enjoyed, of course: Avelda Fonte. I loved this white wine! It was light and crisp, and even had a tiny hint of carbonation.
But, of course, as with most meals, the best part of the dinner was dessert. This chocolate mousse from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, was just divine. Aren’t these heart dishes cute? They were a wedding present from one of my bridesmaids!
And yes…I ate the WHOLE thing:
Totally worth it.
After dinner, there was some partner swapping…how scandalous!
Goodnight, my loves! I hope you’ve had a great Valentine’s Day!
Cute. Baxter looks so casually cool, like “of course I’m the fav guy around here.” And, never, ever anything subtle about E.
I’ve always been to scared to try one of Julia’s recipes but wow, that looks awesome.
You know, I’ve always been intimidated by them too. I got her two volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking for Christmas maybe four or five years ago, and have only cooked a handful of recipes from them, but if you actually sit down and look at the books, the recipes aren’t all crazy complicated. Many of them are actually quite simple…although this mousse wasn’t!
Oh my gosh that chocolate mousse…amazing! I’m not a mushroom fan, but anything with polenta I adore. I love the picture of you looking surprised with the pup. So cute!
You guys are adorable! All 4 of you!
xoxo!
Wow that mousse looks good. Seriously I think every one of your meals looks so gourmet- I love it!
Still loving the table setting
My classmates were drooling over your mousse today! ( I check your blog before class, and the people around me lean in and comment.) What a sweet valentine’s day!
Awww– thanks for reading it in public!
Ella says to wish Diego a Happy Valentine’s day from her.
I love creamy mushroom sauce but rarely have it because I never cook with cream… (It’s silly actually.. I mean I eat ice cream without problem after all
)
That mousse looks to die for & you’re so cute!!
Julia definitely knew what she was doing! Your meal (and of course your incredible desert!) look wonderful!
What a beautiful meal…you are so talented in the kitchen and in presentation! Just gorgeous. And I love the partner swapping! Too funny.
Hope you have a fabulous day off!
What a lovely meal! I am so jealous!
I recently bought “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” but haven’t cooked anything from it yet.
What a fun night Anna! I just love your blog…it always makes me smile!!
yummmmy mousse! those heart bowls are adorable. great wedding gift!
What a wonderful Love Day dinner and the mousse looks divine! Glad you had a fabulous Valentine’s Day…keep up the great bloggin’…
YUM. I love mushrooms. Have you tried crisping up polenta yet? Totally different type of texture.